"'We had a 17-year-old daughter show up at the Police Department with her father in tow,' Powell said. (Police Chief Mike Powell) 'She carried in some chemicals, some of which was red phosphorus; some others were chemicals that we haven't identified.'" (Dad arrested in meth bust, Peninsula Daily News, February 7, 2002)

As Washington citizens, we are now faced with a methamphetamine epidemic in our state. As Kleiman, drug policy analyst wrote, "Meth is Here and We’re Not Ready."

Washington State currently ranks second in the nation behind California in the number of meth lab seizures. According to the Department of Ecology as of December 2001 there has been 1,886 labs reported through out the state.

There are several counties, including Thurston, Spokane, Yakima, Lewis and Clark-Skamania that are facing the rapid proliferation of meth labs in their communities. But the meth capitol of our state, and nearly our nation, is Pierce County (only two counties in California have more meth labs than Pierce.)

In 1999 Pierce County reported 318 drug labs, and in December of 2001 585 labs were reported.

This section includes the "movers and the shakers" in our state. Those individuals that recognize that we are facing an ominous enemy and to defeat this enemy we must unite in our efforts and share our strategies. It also includes the most current information on treatment, and this is very important because this drug has an addictive character, second only to. ”

"Ted Hamlin spends a lot of time on the road. In the last two years, he has logged 40,000 miles cleaning up methamphetamine labs and dump sites for the Department of Ecology." (Huge meth dump found, The Outlook, January 17, 2002)

"House Appropriations Committee members listened to testimony in favor of a bill that would make the operation of a meth lab a 'strike' under the 'Three Strikes, You're Out' law, which requires a life sentence after a conviction for a third violent crime. Other proposed bills would restrict the sale of ingredients that can be used to make meth and increase potential penalties for exposing children to meth manufacturing sites."  (Bill adds meth-making to 'three strikes' list, Spokesman Review, March 20, 2001)

"We've seen an explosion in meth use in the state," said Dave Rodriguez, director of the Northwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, designed to fight substance abuse in high-traffic areas. And the problem is only going to get worse, in his opinion. "I don't think we've hit the peak yet." (Meth dangers to be discussed at Brewster meeting, Brewster Quad-City Herald, March 8, 2001)